Football | Germany

Germany line up US tie, Klinsmann reunion

Germany will play two matches in the United States after the end of the Bundesliga season including a meeting with the US national team coached by Juergen Klinsmann, football federation officials said on Wednesday.

The match in Washington on June 2 will be a reunion with Klinsmann for Germany under coach Joachim Loew, who was assistant to the former international striker at the 2006 World Cup.

Germany are also lining up a match on May 29 in Boston or New York against as yet unnamed opponents, dpa learned.

The United States Soccer Federation is celebrating its centenary next year.

"We will have an interesting trip to America," team manager Oliver Bierhoff said, adding that the matches were part of the team's World Cup preparations in "a transitional year."

However, the end-of-season trip is likely to cause selection problems for Loew. The Champions League final is in London on May 25 and the German Cup final in Berlin on June 1 while the Spanish season runs to June 1. Clubs in England and Italy would also not be obliged to release players.

Germany have also qualified for the European Under-21 Championships in Israel from June 5 to 18.

Germany are playing the Netherlands in Amsterdam Wednesday in a friendly international, their last game of the year.

Bierhoff and a federation delegation will travel after the match to Brazil to sound out possible headquarters for the national squad should it qualify for the World Cup finals.

Germany's 2013 schedule begins on February 6 with a friendly against France in Paris before World Cup qualifiers resume with a double header against Kazakhstan on March 22 and 26.

A friendly against Brazil has been agreed for August 14 before further World Cup qualifiers in September and October against Austria, the Faroe Island, Ireland and Sweden.

If Germany qualify directly for the 2014 World Cup finals, Loew would like to set up two more friendlies towards the end of the year against top-ranked opponents. Media reports say England and Italy could be possible opponents.